Finally got out for scouting and calling coyotes--Loooooong

Silverfox

New member
There was a pretty strong west wind today, but it was so nice and warm I decided to go out to view and take photos of a huge old juniper tree I had found way up on a butte overlooking the Little Missouri River down in the National Grasslands in North Dakota. I thought it would be a quick hike in, snap the photos and a quick hike out. WRONG!!! The gate I usually go in was posted “NO TRESPASSING. There went the easy route into the tree. Now I would have to take a straight down the side of the butte, across several big gullies filled with a tangle of trees and brush, and then up the side of another steep butte. Funny how your mind plays tricks on you. What I remembered as a 10 minute or so hike turned out to be almost a 50 minute hike in!!! I finally found the old granddaddy of junipers and snapped a few photos. There’s a lot fewer living branches on the old boy now, but he’s still hanging in there on the side of this butte.

View from the north side of the tree.

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View looking from the northwest.

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Bottom trunk portion of the tree--sorry I didn't put something of a known size up against it so you could see how big it is /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

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I took a “shortcut” and followed a straight line between the old tree and my pickup. That shortcut only took me 45 minutes to walk. I was ready to call in the rescue squad before I finally topped out on the hill where my pickup was located. I was totally pooped out!!!

It was about 4:20 in the afternoon so I decided to do some calling in these areas because I get to them maybe once every two or three years. Besides, I wanted to see how the 30 gr. Starkes at 3,900 fps would work on a coyote. My first stand produced nothing, but I did see a couple of nice muley bucks.

My second stand was going to be right above a stock dam that had lots of water in it. I hid the pickup and crept in on the shady side of the hill above the dam. I scared up a mallard drake, took a couple more steps and two hens flew off the pond. I stood very still in the shadows and checked to see if anything was running away to the north. I pale white object immediately caught my eye. I sat down very slowly, brought my rifle up so I could get the object in my scope and spotted a small coyote standing and looking my way.

I got my shooting sticks set up and began to try to kiss him in. He sat down! I started to suck on the back of my hand and was making the absolute best squeaking sounds I have ever heard. He lay down!! Talk about an insult to my pride!!! Well, it didn’t seem like he was interested and I had the dark shadows to my advantage to I slowly scooted myself back up to a little ledge, set out the legs on my Harris bipod and got them leveled off. I cranked the Burris Signature scope up to 24x, placed the crosshairs just below his chin, allowed a tiny bit for a left to right wind and squeezed off the shot. I could hear the bullet hit and heard him start to do the yipe, yipe, yipe. He got up and slowly moved a couple of feet to the west. Well I jacked in another shell and when he stopped broadside to me, I fired another bullet into him. Down he went for the final time. I stepped off the distance and it was approximately 220 yards and slightly downhill.

Here is where he was standing when I first spotted him.

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This was young male born this spring. He didn’t have much of a coat on him, but as I skinned out his back legs, you could see he was getting prime—a little bit of blue in the skin, but the pale creamy skin color was starting to come on.

This picture is rather graphic, so you may want to cover the lady's and youngster's eyes on this one. My first shot hit a wee bit high and took out his lower jaw, and penetrated the skin on the neck too. I don't know why that didn't finish him.

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The next picture was taken from where the coyote laid and looking back up to the shady spot on the sidehill where I laid to take the shots. If you can see the white arrow, it is pointing to where I laid for the shot.

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I headed back on the road and called in two more places. I got howls in answer to my howling at both places, but nothing came in. I may have to go back to those spots when the wind is more in my favor.

I sure am one tired dude. I haven't worked that hard since last winter!!! It sure was fun though
 
That looks like great calling country.Too bad about the longer hike,more time between stands.That tree may come alive one day and snatch you up.
 
Silverfox
Great story and pics! No they're not prime yet but close. I was out today too, you forgot to mention the heat. LOL! Always look forward to reading about your outings. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Brad
 
Silverfox- Glad you came back from your summer retirement. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

As always, you have a way telling the story that makes for some enjoyable reading. I see the trusty .17 is still trusty. I may try some calling this week. I charged the batteries and hope to practice with the hand calls a little more this year. I've been concentrating hard on bowhunting so far. But since I am on vacation next week, I may try some calling up in the day. I heard a pack before daylight the other morning on the way to my stand. Most of my really good spots I can't access until after deer season.

Look forward to your next installment.
 
nice pitures silverfox, glad you skinned out the back legs and checked the prime, I suppose a another few weeks huh ? I was going to comment on that old juniper tree, The MT FWP did a mule deer study in the breaks a few years back and they cut down a juniper just about like yours,they wanted to get a history of the drought cycles, anyway they found out he tree was over 500 years old, jsut think about that for a minute, in our country nothing is really old, But the tree's. this tree was waving in the breeze when the pilgrums 1st landed on plymouth Rock. that tree has seem some mighty sights. it told of droughts that made the 30's ook like wet years, 75 year droughts, it really is kinda spooky considering whats going on now, it watched lewis and clark go upstream and maybe even provided some protection against a summer storm. I would imagine that your juniper tree is of similar status, great ain't it.
 
well it's about time Leroy!!! I was really starting to get worried that you had given up calling for golf! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Nice shot and neat tree i love those old junipers. Still not quite ready on the fur yet though huh? Good job now keep it up so I don't have to get after you again /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Nice pictures Silverfox, pretty country there.

Looks like your 30 grainers are going to do just fine. Nice shot at 220 with a .17 don't care what anyone says. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'm going to try and get out tomarrow morning again in that same area I posted about a few days ago.

I will bring my camera this time too!!!LOL
 
Great story Silverfox, as usual. 220 yds with a 17 Rem. You are a god. I missed one a heck of alot closer than that. I need to get alittle more range time though think I am shooting to the right. Great pics. It's amazing the beauty this rough country has to offer.

coyotestalker
 
Thanks for all the feedback on the pics and story. It was only 83º on my thermometer on the pickup console when I got done with my "little" hike! No wonder I felt like a twice-baked spud!

howler--Like you said, it really is amazing to think about what has happened in history since that big old juniper first sprouted. Amazing!

nd coyote killer--you ought to know by now that I'll still be out calling and shooting coyotes even if they have to haul me out there in a wheel chair. The only reason I golf is so I can sharpen up my range estimation for coyote/fox calling. You being a golfer, I can't believe you didn't know that was why I golf!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

dogboy--yep, we surely do have some very beautiful country in Western North Dakota. Those badlands are one of the prettiest pictures God painted on this earth. The 30 grain bullets have worked like a charm on those coyotes for the past two seasons. They didn't fail me on Saturday either.

coyotestalker--there is NO substitute for time behind the trigger when it comes to knowing where to place those crosshairs and for getting the knack of squeezing that trigger at just the right time. You had better get those bullets hitting the right spot on the paper before you go out again. I don't want to hear any more excuses for missing those close in coyotes. Maybe you should also get out and spend more time shooting prairie dogs in the summer as well. Or maybe you should be out shooting golf like I did all summer. It didn't seem to hurt my shooting eye one bit /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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